You're My Brother
by Gare-Devil99
Summary: To SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star is more than just his goofy best friend, neighbor, and trusty sidekick. He was like the brother he never had. Set after The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie


**Disclaimer: SpongeBob SquarePants doesn't belong to me, but the stories and drawings I make do.**

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It was another calm night in the little town of Bikini Bottom. The stars and moon shone brightly within the dark underwater sky while many citizens were already fast asleep in their beds after another long day of freedom. It had been approximately one week since Plankton's arrest, and things have finally gone back to normal...well, whatever was considered "normal" in this strange world under the sea.

Heck, nobody, not even Texan Sandra ''Sandy'' Jennifer Cheeks herself knew the exact answer to why or how there can even be any fire or rain underwater with all her scientific research or calculations. The daredevil land squirrel may be rather intelligent, but she didn't have all the answers to Bikini Bottom's mysterious ways.

Not everyone in town was sleeping soundly at this hour. Inside Patrick's rock, SpongeBob SquarePants and his best friend, neighbor, and trusty sidekick were still up enjoying story time and some ice cream.

"And so the evil Plankton went to jail after all the terrible crimes he'd committed backfired on him, and everyone lived happily ever after thanks to their two brave young heroes. The end."

"Wow, that was an awesome story, SpongeRobert! I really liked the part with Mindy and our super cool mustaches, and the awesome rock song you sung in order to defeat Plankton's evil bucket-headed army!" Patrick chirped while scarfing down a bowl of chocolate ice cream sprinkled with jelly beans. Empty ice cream containers, pillow feathers, and a small bag of jellybeans lay all around him.

"I just love story time, sleepovers, and this yummy jelly bean ice cream!"

"Not so fast now, Patrick. You'll give yourself another brain freeze, or get the hiccups again.'' His best friend warned him with a chuckle, finishing off his plain vanilla ice cream cone. He grabbed his reading glasses and a good book to read from the big stack of books next to his chair. When it came to reading he was quite the bookworm, just like his beloved snail Gary.

''And yes, that was quite the adventure, huh? Maybe I should consider writing it into a book. I bet everyone in town would love their very own copy of our heroic, spine-tingling adventure. I'm sure it'll be the next biggest seller alongside my work diary. Now this is a story that'll be written in the history books one day for sure. Ah, the stories this sponge could tell."

"Yeah, they should definitely turn it into a movie. You'll make a great author or narrator, SpongeBob. Oh! Remember when we had that bubble party at the bar after I had to use the bathroom? It was so much fun! Well, until we got caught by the dumb owner. Stupid tough guy ruined our bubble wonderland with his dumb baby hunt.'' Patrick grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

''So we love bubbles, ice cream, and the Goofy Goober theme song. So what? Can't we have any fun without getting in trouble or being called a baby?''

"Oh sure, it's one moment I'll always treasure. Even though it got us caught. So much for creating a distraction in order to steal the Patty Wagons key back. Brilliant plan, Patrick.'' The sponge muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Luckily, they escaped the bar unharmed with the key before things could get any uglier. However, there were times when SpongeBob could still find himself slowly shaking his head in disapproval over Patrick's so called distraction. Okay, so his idea didn't go according to plan. At least things worked out quite smoothly in the end, right?

"Hey, Sponge?" Patrick piped up, breaking the sudden silence that filled the air. His annoyance now replaced with remorse.

"Yes, Pat?" SpongeBob responded, his eyes not leaving the page he was on.

"C-can I say something?"

''Let me guess. Is mayonnaise an instrument?'' The sponge playfully joked, playing along with Patrick's goofy nature.

''No, it isn't. Neither is horseradish. Squidward even said so himself during band practice.''

''Tarter sauce. Uh, no. It's actually something I should have said a long time ago.''

SpongeBob carefully sat back in his chair with both arms folded behind his head. The book he held now lay out across his lap.

"Go on, I'm listening."

Patrick nervously rubbed at the back of his pointy head before he finally let the words slide off his tongue.

"I-I'm sorry."

SpongeBob finally looked up from the book he was reading, and eyed him with confusion. He tilted his head to one side. "Sorry for what?"

"Being such a jerk in the past, and allowing our friendship to go downhill at times. You're my best friend in the whole world, and I shouldn't have been so stupid and mean towards you. I've gone from being a supportive best friend to becoming a monster, just like our old friend Wormy did."

Patrick lowered his head in shame, tears of anger and guilt started to slowly flow down his chubby cheeks. Deep down, he was still feeling distraught over all his stupid past memories that nearly caused his friendship with SpongeBob. How he wished he could just take it all back, but the damage was done. There was no way he could take back all the pain and suffering he put him through with the wringer. It was a stupid idea to use glue in the first place, but he thought otherwise.

"Please forgive me, SpongeBob. I'm so sorry! I-I don't deserve to be apart of the Best Friends Forever Club! I don't deserve to be your best friend at all! Just lock me up forever in the Bikini Bottom prison, and throw away the key! I even failed with the bag of winds Mindy gave us in order to help us get back home! I-I can't do anything right, except be a huge jerk!"

He finally broke down, crying loudly into his pillow. ''I'm such a horrible person! Heck, my sudden rage one year on Valentine's Day almost got you and everybody else killed all cuz I thought nobody would give me anything! What is wrong with me?! You could've died!"

His best friend quickly stood up, and gently patted Patrick on his back while he cried even more. He pulled out a tissue from his pocket to gently wipe away the tears from Patrick's face.

"There there, Patrick. It's okay. Your anger just got the best of you, and the bag of winds thing was only an accident. I know you didn't do it on purpose. I accept your apology, but that stuff from the past is all history now. We'll still remain best friends forever no matter what. There were times when I wasn't so kind towards you either."

"Like when you once yelled at me cuz I broke your toy that you've been waiting so long to arrive in the mail?" Patrick sniffed, his eyes shimmered with tears.

"Um, yeah." SpongeBob laughed nervously, rubbing at his arm. He could now feel his cheeks burning up out of embarrassment at the rather foolish memory. _A cereal box toy? Really, SquarePants? Really?_ He thought with a face palm.

_Why, it wasn't even broken to begin with! You just had to overreact like always! What next, huh? Fighting over an ice cream cone? Like Squidward once said: When are you ever gonna grow up? Seriously, could you be anymore stupid?! Well, I uh-I rest my case._

"And the time you've accused me of stealing your special jelly fishing net when really it was left on the bus?" Patrick added.

SpongeBob shook away his sudden deep thoughts, nodding weakly. He slowly tapped his fingers together, not making eye contact. "Correct, just a simple misunderstanding. No harm done. Heh, heh."

"Oh, and when you thought you've lost your name tag, and told me to crawl back under my rock-"

The young goofy goober sighed heavily, rolling his eyes in annoyance. He could already feel a headache coming on from Patrick's many questions. "Yes, Patrick. I get it, okay? Sheesh! Look, I've done so many foolish, selfish, and bad things throughout my life here in Bikini Bottom. If anything it should be me who's locked away behind bars forever, or handcuffed in chains of shame. People may think I'm just some kind, innocent, or even extremely annoying sponge, the best darn chef in the whole ocean..."

"Oh, I agree with you on that. You're the best darn chef there is!" Patrick cut in, only to have SpongeBob glare at him. He smiled sheepishly then quickly added:

"Sorry, don't mind me. Please continue, SpongeBob."

"But I had darkness in my own blood too, Patrick. And I had more than enough evidence to prove it. All those times I've hurt my friends in the past, I actually couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror cuz I hated what I've become."

"Whoa. That's deep." Patrick replied, feeling surprised by his rather powerful speech. He knew SpongeBob could be serious with his speeches, yet he never heard him be this serious before.

"The point is, we've both done a lot of things in the past that we're not proud of. Still, we really shouldn't let those dumb things get in the way of the present. Instead, we should just look back on all the fun times we shared as best friends. Think happy thoughts."

"Like the bubble party during our journey to Shell City?" Patrick asked, staring into SpongeBob's kind and forgiving eyes.

"Exactly. I know we can't change the past, but we can learn from it. And despite all those bad memories, I'll always be your best friend. Whether we're side by side, or many miles apart. We'll be goofy goobers and brothers until the end of time. Under no circumstances am I ever gonna let anything else come between our friendship again, understand?" SpongeBob told him with a little smile.

His dimwitted pal nodded, wiping away the rest of his tears before he hugged SpongeBob close. "Thanks, SpongeBob. I feel much better now."

He smiled warmly as he hugged Patrick back. "That's what friends do, old pal. They help one another, especially in time of need."

"SpongeBob, could we please have another pillow fight before bed?" The goofy starfish pleaded once they pulled away from their sweet embrace moments later.

SpongeBob then glanced at his Patrick watch, which just ticked ahead another minute. "Well, I don't know. It's getting pretty late don't you think, Pat?" He yawned, rubbing at his eyes.

"I don't know about you, but I'm totally beat from all the fun we had earlier. Besides, I have to-"

"I know, I know. You're a pretty busy guy with the new manager job and all. It's fine, I understand." Patrick interrupted, feeling a little disappointed at the thought of having to be bored all day underneath his rock without his best friend.

"Actually, I was gonna say that I needed to get a good night's sleep so I can spend the whole weekend with my best pal in the whole world." The sponge finished, rolling out his sleeping bag near Patrick's bed.

"Really, we get to hang out together all weekend? No boss man ruining our fun?"

"Well yeah, Mr. K did let me take some more time off ever since we saved his life from Plankton's evil scheme about a week ago, remember?" SpongeBob reminded him.

"Oh, right. I forgot. Silly me!" Patrick answered. He slapped a hand to his forehead with a small chuckle. Boy, could he be so forgetful.

"Think old man Krabs will leave the Krusty Krab to you when he finally retires?"

"Only time will tell. He did give me my very own Krusty Krab key. Anyway, our friendship is far more important to me then working any shift at the Krusty Krab. You're more than just my best friend in the whole world, Patrick. You're like the brother I never had."

"Gee, that really means a lot, SpongeBob. Thank you. You'll always be my brother and best friend too. Say, you wanna watch a Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy movie at the movie theatre tomorrow? Have another thumb war? We could find a new box to play with, or play another round of Eels and Escalators? Maybe you'll finally win this time."

SpongeBob just laughed lightly at Patrick's random suggestions, giving him a big thumbs up. "Sure, I'd love to."

"Yay, you're the best friend ever!" Patrick cheered, jumping up and down on his bed. He knocked SpongeBob down to the floor, licking his face madly with excitement like a little hyperactive puppy dog before trapping him in a head lock, and ruffling his spongy hair.

Of course, his sudden loud outburst caused the rather grumpy octopus who lives next door to angrily complain from his bedroom window.

"Oh, that's the last straw! Will you two idiots please clam the heck up already?! I'm trying to get my beauty sleep over here! Seriously, it's the middle of the night! Must your childish, obnoxious nonsense always interfere with my life?!"

"Nothing, Squidward. We're just having fun!" Patrick loudly sung out through the wall in return leaving SpongeBob to quietly giggle at his stupidity.

"And shouldn't you start being nicer towards us? You wouldn't even be here right now if it weren't for Sponge and me, mister! Plankton would have been the death of you all! We saved your life! Show some respect!"

"That was a rhetorical question, you stupid barnacle head!" Squidward yelled out from next door. "And I know you did, but that was like a week ago! Now pipe down, or you're gonna pay big time! Play a quiet game of charades, tic-tac-toe, or whatever dumb game you barnacle brains like to play at this hour when you should be asleep like the rest of us, and let me get a good night's sleep. Unless you wanna end up in a hospital bed or inside Davy Jone's locker!"

"No can do, Squidward! I don't have any money! Uh, would you like some of my jellybean ice cream instead? You know, since you didn't get any during Sandy's science experiment?"

"NO! BE QUIET!"

Once he finally heard Squidward slam the window shut, Patrick turned toward SpongeBob with a shrug.

"Huh, guess he doesn't want ice cream."

SpongeBob quickly shushed Patrick after he heard Squidward's warning screaming through the sandy walls. "Keep your voice down, Pat! Other people like Squid are sleeping around here. Gary's only a few feet away from us, we really don't wanna hear him complain about your shouting." He whispered into his ear.

"Seriously, I can still hear my own ears ringing from when we were trapped inside the Krusty Krab's air vents during the eleventy-seventh anniversary, and that was a LONG time ago. Um, maybe you should cut back on the chocolate ice cream and candy. I think all that sugars making you way too jittery. Two bowls is more than enough. Let's not go overboard."

He got up off the floor, took Patrick's bowl away, and then gave him a book before he backed away slowly towards the kitchen doorway.

"How about we just keep our voices down, stick with a good book from my library, and have some warm milk? I could even whip us up some peanut butter jelly sandwiches to eat. Sound good?"

Patrick nodded his head gently in agreement before ducking underneath his comforter with the fairy tale book the sponge had given him, a teddy bear, and flashlight. While still very excited over tomorrow, he definitely didn't wanna upset Squidward any further. Yikes, he thought Dennis, the Cyclops, or even Sandy during hibernation was scary.

"Okay, SpongeBob. Alright, let's see. Once Upon a Time, there lived a hungry little sea star..."

When the food was gone, their teeth were clean, and they've said good night, SpongeBob finally crawled into his sleeping bag beside Patrick's bed to quietly finish reading the rest of his book in peace. He took off his glasses minutes later, and turned off the lamp so he too could get some much needed rest in order to enjoy another long fun day tomorrow with Patrick.

The end

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**AN: **Well, I do hope you guys like this sweet little one shot about our two favorite goofy goobers. Seriously, it took me like forever to edit it. See ya all later! *gives all my beloved Bikini Bottom buddies a big hug* SpongeBob forever! :)


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